By Midnight by Mia James

with an embarrassed look on her face. ‘I was speaking figuratively or metaphorically or something - and anyway, it’s just an idea. I’ve got a million of ’em. Maybe don’t tell your dad that one, I’ll look like a loony.’
     
    And then again, maybe he’d agree with you , thought April. She still wanted to tell her new friends what she had read in her dad’s notes, but Caro was right - in the cold light of day, the idea that some sort of underground disease or, even worse, a vampire, might be responsible for all the violence in London did sound a little loony. ‘A little loony’ was something April was used to with her father, of course, but it wasn’t necessarily something she wanted to share with the world.
     
    ‘Don’t worry,’ said Simon, seeing April’s troubled expression. ‘It’s not like you actually killed that girl, is it? You were only trying to help and you told the police everything you know.’
     
    April felt a wave of guilt and looked across the room to where the Faces were sitting. She didn’t really know why, but she hadn’t quite told the police everything. She had left out the part about seeing Gabriel there, about him pulling her out of the cemetery, about him telling her to run home. She had meant to tell them, she honestly had, but when it came to it, something had stopped her. Fear? No, somehow she didn’t sense any evil in him. Loyalty? Hardly - she barely knew him. Across the room, Gabriel was talking intently to that bitchy girl Layla; he didn’t seem to have noticed April at all. The truth was she didn’t have a very clear picture of what had happened the previous evening and that bothered her. Why was Gabriel there? Had he called the police? April just didn’t know what to think. Maybe it was her father’s genes, maybe it was just morbid curiosity, maybe it was pure guilt that she hadn’t done more to help that poor girl—whatever it was, April knew she couldn’t relax until she had found out what had happened that night. If she had given the police Gabriel Swift’s name, the chances were she never would.
     
    ‘Do you really think I’m being treated as a suspect?’ said April seriously. ‘Okay, so I was in the area, but why on earth would I want to murder anyone?’
     
    Caro shrugged. ‘Drug deal gone wrong? Crime of passion? Hey,’ she said, waving a stick of celery at April, ‘perhaps you were lesbian lovers.’
     
    ‘Well, it’s nice to see someone’s enjoying all this,’ said Simon sarcastically. ‘I mean, it’s not like anyone’s been killed or anything, is it?’
     
    Caro giggled and threw her celery at him. ‘Can I help it if I love being at the centre of a murder investigation?’ She smiled playfully. ‘Besides, look at all the attention April’s getting. Yesterday she was just the new girl, today she’s one half of Bonnie and Clyde.’
     
    April smiled despite herself. It would have been so easy to give in to paranoia and fear, but her new friend’s irreverent take on events put the whole episode into perspective. Especially the slightly silly part about those dark eyes.
     
    ‘Hello, here comes trouble,’ said Caro, nodding towards the far side of the room. April looked up to see Davina Osbourne making a beeline for their table.
     
    ‘Hi, April,’ she sang, giving them all the full sixty-watt smile. ‘I heard about last night, honey,’ she said, pouting sympathetically. ‘It sounds so horrible. I just wanted to come over and check that you’re okay?’
     
    ‘Your concern is so touching, “honey”,’ mimicked Caro.
     
    ‘Thanks, Davina,’ said April quickly, ‘but I’m fine. I just heard some noises in Swain’s Lane last night and—’
     
    ‘Oh my God,’ said Davina, dramatically covering her mouth. ‘Did you hear Isabelle getting killed? Actually getting killed? Screams and stuff?’
     
    ‘No, I just heard a few noises, the police aren’t even sure if I was in the same place—’
     
    ‘Who’s